Bulkos remained unmoved, his expression somber as he said, "The number of people found to be illegally occupying land this time is so high… To be honest, I'm shocked! … I feel even more deeply that I have failed in my duty! I cannot resign, I cannot give the Senate an explanation to the citizens… I also hope that the Senate will investigate me to confirm my innocence!"
As Davos listened to his words, his mind was filled with thoughts: He had known about the corruption of Poluxis and others for several years, but he had been patient and allowed the problem to expand, involving more people. On the one hand, Poluxis and others, in order to achieve their goals, had to buy more slaves and release more slaves, which was exactly what Davos wanted to see. On the other hand, most of those who could do these things were originally nobles and wealthy people from various cities. Only they had the ability and connections to achieve this goal. Davos could take this opportunity to wipe out those who secretly resisted the civil rights laws he had promulgated. Therefore, it wasn't that no one had discovered the problem in the past few years, but several important public officials under Bulkos had been bribed to cover it up, and Davos had also secretly suppressed it, until today when the lid was lifted.
From the bottom of his heart, he felt guilty towards Bulkos.
"Daddy! Daddy! …" At this moment, the half-closed door was suddenly pushed open, and four-year-old Croto Kataks ran in: "Come play with me!"
As he spoke, he jumped onto Davos's seat.
Davos quickly hugged her and said kindly, "My little Croto, I'm talking to Uncle about something, I don't have time now, why don't you go play with Adoris brother, okay?"
"Brother is reciting poetry, he doesn't have time to play with me. He said that if he doesn't recite it well, he will be punished by the teacher tomorrow… Sister is helping Mommy plant flowers, no one is paying attention to me! …" Little Croto hugged Davos's neck and said aggrievedly: "Daddy, come play with me, okay?"
Bulkos saw the usually respected Archon at a loss with the child, surprised and a little emotional. He stood up and said, "Lord Davos, you don't need to persuade me anymore, my mind is made up, I'll leave first."
"Alright." Davos stood up, holding his son in one arm: "I agree to your resignation as Minister of Agriculture, but I will not allow you to be lazy because of this! Now there are many affairs in the League, I can't handle it all by myself, you must continue to come and help me!"
Bulkos was silent for a moment, and said, "I'll think about it…"
"Don't think about it, you are a Senator of Daonia, this is your duty! When this matter is over, you will take a position in the League Public Officials Management Committee!" Davos said with a strong attitude that did not allow him to refuse.
Bulkos neither agreed nor refused, walked to the door, and asked hesitantly: "How will the Senate deal with Poluxis?"
He was asking the Senate, but wasn't it Davos who made the decision? Davos replied vaguely: "How Poluxis and others should be punished will be decided after the court trial…"
Bulkos heard that Davos had no intention of letting Poluxis and others go, and sighed secretly, because he had also heard the news about Poluxis colluding with Syracuse.
"Little Croto! Little Croto! …" At this moment, a woman's beautiful figure appeared in front of Bulkos.
"Madam!" Bulkos recognized Davos's second wife, Agnese, and quickly saluted and greeted her.
Unlike Christoia, Agnese didn't know much about these Senators of the Senate. She didn't know most of them, and just returned the greeting politely.
"Mommy Agnese! Mommy Agnese! Why are you only back now! …" Little Croto became happy, gesticulated and kicked, and ran excitedly past his father's embrace.
Davos was finally relieved, and he accompanied Bulkos to the entrance of the mansion.
"Lord Bulkos." Davos looked at the street outside, which was already shrouded in darkness, and said in a deep voice: "I still remember the first time I saw you, you were running around to save Thurii, doing your best to do what you thought was right, even without fear of criticism from the Thurii Council."
"Now Daonia seems strong, but it also faces many difficulties, and there are even strong enemies coveting it. At this time, we cannot retreat, we must unite and face the difficulties head-on in order to overcome this dangerous obstacle!"
Bulkos stood at the entrance of the mansion… After a moment, he looked directly at Davos's expectant gaze: "I understand."
… … … … … … … … … … …
The result of the Senate's internal interrogation the next day shocked the Senators: Poluxis and others illegally occupied land and colluded with officials and businessmen. The seriousness of the situation was secondary. The most important thing was that Poluxis had indeed had contact with Syracuse, and it wasn't just him. Orifis, Masisakus, Euricpus, and others had also accepted gifts from the people of Syracuse.
The Senators felt that the problem was very tricky.
The opinion of the moderate faction, led by Kunogorata and Cornelius, was: Conduct a secret trial of Poluxis and others, and then send envoys to Syracuse to protest, so that Dionysius would restrain his ambition…
The radical faction, led by Antonios and Amintas, demanded: There must be a public trial to let the people know the crimes committed by Poluxis and others, and also to let them know the ambitions of Syracuse, and to send envoys to Syracuse to demand an apology and compensation.
Davos finally proposed a public trial in Victory Square. His reason was: Now the case of Poluxis and others is not only causing a stir in the city, but the entire League has been alarmed, rumors are spreading in various cities, people are panicking, and even Daonia's allied city-states are paying attention. The Senate needs to give the people the truth, and at the same time remind the people of Daonia that the Daonia League is still in a dire situation, so that everyone cannot slack off!
The Senate agreed.
… … … … … … … … … … … …
At dusk on this day, Anta Oris, the administrative officer of Picus, received an urgent letter from Davos.
In the letter, Davos explained to him in detail the reasons for the arrest of Euricpus, Plerades, and some people in Crimisa. At the same time, he also stated that he would give them a fair and just trial. In addition, he also praised "Anta Oris for his two years as the administrator of Picus, not only stabilizing the Lucanian ethnic group in the city, making them smoothly naturalized in Daonia, but also developing the port of Picus, promoting the prosperity of trade, and the Senate expressed its gratitude for his contributions to the Lucanian region! …"
Anta Oris stood on the terrace of the mansion, reading the letter, feeling emotional: He had a vague understanding of the affairs of Euricpus and Plerades. These two colleagues from Crimisa were keen to join the Daonia army and lead the legion to fight. But unfortunately, when they joined the Daonia army, Daonia's external wars had already stopped. They had no chance to accumulate military exploits, and they also had to re-familiarize themselves with the new combat methods. Training with the recruits was already enough to make them uncomfortable, but with the positions of the five legion commanders already full, and many people queuing up behind them, whether it was military exploits or combat experience, the two of them were far from having any hope of becoming the leaders of the legion. Being able to reach the position of company commander was already Davos's extra kindness, considering that the two of them were Senators. But they felt that it was a disgrace to hold such a low position when they were Senators with Antonios, Filisius, Kapus, and others. So they went to Davos several times, hoping that he, as the leading figure in Crimisa, could come forward and join forces with Poluxis to propose convening a citizens' assembly, but he refused. He didn't have any resistance to Davos's control of the Senate, but Davos didn't restrict him from doing things, but instead gave him a broader world to display his talents…
Looking at the busy port in the distance, listening to the stiff Greek accents of the people on the nearby streets… This was where he had shed his sweat for the past few years!
In the glow of the setting sun, a sense of accomplishment rose in his heart…
Returning home, he immediately wrote a reply to Davos, thanking him for his recognition of his work, and firmly supporting the Senate's resolution to try Poluxis and others.
… … … … … … … … … …
Early the next morning, a large wooden platform was built in Victory Square in Thurii. The Thurii patrol team, as well as a detachment temporarily drawn from the First Legion, were responsible for maintaining order throughout the square.
Daolian people from all over the world came to the square one after another. Most of them were ordinary Daonian citizens, including freemen who had just become probationary citizens and had not yet been allocated land, foreign merchants who had left their city-states and transferred to Daonia, and relatives of the defendants who had been arrested this time…
On the large wooden platform, Chief Judge Tritodemus was sitting in the center. In principle, Davos, as the Archon of Daonia and concurrently the Chief Justice, should have been sitting high above him in such an important trial, but for reasons known to all (Poluxis had always been at odds with him), he did not attend out of avoidance, and neither did the other Senators.
To the left front of Tritodemus was the jury. The jury consisted of 50 members, including merchants, public officials, farmers, herdsmen, sailors, craftsmen… citizens from all walks of life, as well as Lucanian citizens and Brutti citizens. According to the proportion of the poor and wealthy classes, races, and industries stipulated in the "Daonia Law", the court randomly selected members from the citizen household registration book to ensure fairness as much as possible.
The plaintiff and the defendant stood facing each other in front of Tritodemus. According to the law, given that the plaintiff and defendant may not be familiar with the numerous articles of the Daonian Code and may not have good eloquence, they are allowed to hire lawyers to conduct the court proceedings. However, Polixes, who was the first to be tried in this case, decided to defend himself. Because the crimes he committed had far exceeded the scope of the initial accusations by the plaintiff (i.e., the freed slaves), the prosecutor appointed by the court filed the lawsuit. And the prosecutor was Aristocrates, Davos' former clerk.
After Aristocrates obtained Daonian probationary citizenship, Davos suggested that he work in the court. He successfully passed the assessment and started as a court recorder, working diligently and studying Daonian law assiduously. After becoming a Daonian citizen, he served as a junior judge in the circuit court. In just over a year, he became a rising star among Daonian judges with his dazzling record of "handling more than 200 cases and disputes without any errors." For this trial, Davos personally selected him as the prosecutor, holding high expectations for him.
Because Davos transplanted the court trial system of later generations to Daonia after modifying it, it appeared different from the very beginning.
It should be known that the most admired Athenian court of this era did not have specialized judges. Only the order officer maintained the court's procedures, and the power of judgment was in the hands of the jury. However, the jury did not have a fixed number of members, but rather the number was determined by the size of the case, with the highest number of jury members reaching over two thousand, deciding the outcome of the trial by a majority vote. Therefore, in Athens, regardless of the size of the case, a jury must participate. Every day, about three to four thousand citizens travel back and forth between the various courts in the city and the port, which is also jokingly referred to by other city-states as "Athenians are Greeks who love litigation."
However, in Daonia, except for important cases such as murder and treason, which are adjudicated by a jury, other civil disputes are generally subject to final judgment by a judge directly. Even if the defendant requests a jury, it is very likely to be rejected. The reason is that the citizens of the Daonian League are relatively busy with military training, field labor, market trade, public facility construction, etc., and do not have so much free time to sit in court and listen to the plaintiff and defendant tell things that are irrelevant to them.
And Athens, because the city-state is extremely wealthy, there is monetary compensation for serving as a juror, and some citizens even make a living from it, so citizens enjoy going there.
In short, with Daonia's existing strength and financial resources, it cannot afford this time-consuming and money-consuming Athenian-style court trial method, nor is it prepared to implement it in this way. Daonians are concerned about violating the law and affecting their entry into the legion, holding public office, and receiving city-state rewards, so major crimes are rare. Therefore, large-scale court trial scenes like this with a jury are rarely seen by the public, and many can be said to be witnessing the operation of a Daonian court trial for the first time.
Victory Square was quickly filled with people, and people continued to arrive from outside the square...
When the liquid level of the water clock fell to the eight o'clock mark, Tritodemus rang the bell to open the court.
Since both the plaintiff and the defendant were present, the prosecutor began with his statement. Aristocrates briefly explained the process of the freed slaves suing at the temple, the patrol's routine search, the discovery of evidence, etc., and then presented the evidence seized to the jury, accusing Polixes of illegally occupying land, restricting the freedom of others, and other crimes.
The crowd below began to stir.
Tritodemus had to ring the bell to remind the people present to remain quiet. Then he signaled that the defendant Polixes could begin his defense.
As a veteran who has been involved in politics for a long time, Polixes still held his head high and maintained his spirits, because he knew that if he showed decadence, the public would think that he felt guilty. At the beginning, although he did not participate in the formulation of the legal court trial system, he sat in on the whole process of Davos persuading the elders, so he knew that if he wanted to be acquitted in a large-scale court trial in Daonia,
the key lies in the jury, so he said in a passionate voice: "Members of the jury, at this moment I think of my father, my grandfather... As one of the earliest founders of Thurii, they dedicated all their efforts and passion to this once barren land, which is why there is today's prosperous city. And I myself, influenced by my father, have been making my own efforts for this city since adulthood, like you, working in the fields, serving as a soldier, participating in battles, serving as a low-level public official, and later being repeatedly elected by the people as the general of Thurii, doing my best for this city-state—"
At this time, Aristocrates stood up and interrupted him: "Polixes, as one of the former generals of Thurii, you should be held responsible for the burning of Thurii! And when the city finally fell, as a general, you did not lead the people to fight the enemy, but disappeared. How dare you say that you have given everything for the city-state! This is simply not true!" Obviously, Aristocrates had carefully investigated Polixes' life in advance.
As soon as he finished speaking, someone responded from below: "He's right! I was in the team that fought the Crotoniates. Many people died, including Neonsis, but Polixes, you were never seen from beginning to end!"
"Coward!"
"Traitor!"
...
People below began to curse loudly.
"Quiet! Quiet!" Tritodemus had to ring the small bell again to remind the people to remain quiet, and at the same time warned: "You two should not talk about topics unrelated to this defense, return to the issues being accused."
It should be said that because there are not many large-scale court trial cases in Daonia's various courts, young judges like Aristocrates lack experience. Otherwise, he could have protested as soon as Polixes opened his mouth.
However, their initial confrontation attracted the attention of the public. The court is like a battlefield, with verbal swords and spears, related to life and death. The risk and intensity are far better than watching a drama. The Daonian people began to open their eyes wide, looking forward to their next more exciting debate.
Polixes was quite embarrassed. The selfish him had really forgotten that he had been a deserter. He originally wanted to continue to promote his hard work in the Senate, but now it was all over. He took a deep look at his opponent, and then began to say: "As an elder of the Daonian Senate, I have always regarded Executive Officer Davos as an example and responded to Hades' enlightenment, so I disregarded my family's losses and gave my family's slaves a lot of freedom. So far, I have released 57 slaves, and 6 people have become full citizens. I think besides Lord Davos, which Daonian citizen treats slaves as well as I do! No one!" Polixes looked around with a stern expression.
"The freed slaves, out of gratitude and repayment, give me some money and goods as a reward every year. I declined their kindness, but reluctantly accepted it. Because with more money, I can buy more slaves and give more slaves freedom! ... Alas, but I never expected that I would be mistaken for corruption! This... This is really a huge blow to my enthusiasm for learning from Lord Davos! This is a misunderstanding! ..." He put on a distressed look towards the jury.
Aristocrates said coldly: "Whether Polixes is corrupt or not, please allow me to question the witnesses, Your Honor."
Tritodemus nodded in agreement.
Aristocrates called up a total of ten witnesses, all of whom were Polixes' freed slaves, some who had just been released, some who had become probationary citizens, and some who were already full citizens. These few witnesses with citizenship did not want to appear in court, but were forced to do so by the court, because this is the duty of a League citizen.
After they swore to Hades that they would not lie, Aristocrates asked them questions one by one, each more pointed than the last. During this period, Polixes tried to interrupt several times, but was reprimanded by Judge Tritodemus.
Seeing that Polixes' situation was not good, the witnesses were afraid of being accused of lying again and being sentenced to "blasphemy", so they revealed everything one by one.
Now the people near the wooden platform have understood: First of all, the location of the land owned by these witnesses is already enviable, all of which is fertile land on the Sibari Plain. It should be known that when the League was first established, there were more people than land. In order not to let the land be barren, many lands were rented to free people and freed slaves. Later, the rental of land in Sibari began to be tight, and it was not enough to be distributed to probationary citizens. How could free people be allowed to rent it? Polixes' newly released slaves can still rent good land, which is a very big problem;
Secondly, after these witnesses paid the League's rent tax, they had to pay Polixes 40% of the land income;
Thirdly, the witnesses who became full citizens still had to give Polixes 5% of their land income every year. Why do full citizens still take the initiative to send him money? Because Polixes bribed some people in the Department of Agriculture, and when distributing "allotments" to these people who became full citizens, they cheated when measuring the land, adding an acre or half an acre. Because their "allotments" are often in relatively remote places, it is not easy to be discovered. Therefore, these citizens from the Polixes family benefited and were afraid that the Department of Agriculture would take it back when checking the land every year, so they took the initiative to give Polixes benefits.
After Aristocrates finished asking questions, Polixes already felt the anger of the people below the stage. He hurriedly shouted: "They are all lying! They are all lying! I have never done these things at all. Someone is framing me! Afraid that I will shake his trust in Daonia—"
Terry Todmus slammed the bronze bell: "Defendant, this is your last warning! If you continue to make wild guesses and accusations, this court will prohibit you from speaking again!"
Polysixes hurriedly swallowed his words, looking back at the jury, unsure if they were influenced by what he had deliberately said. By now, he felt his chances of acquittal were becoming increasingly slim.
Aristocrates took out a papyrus and said to the jury: "This paper records the amount of property found by the patrol at Polysixes' residence. Fortunately, Polysixes did not deposit this money in the bank (at that time, the reputation of Christoia Bank was deeply rooted in people's hearts. To prevent loss of property, people deposited their property in the bank, only paying a very low storage fee each year, and could withdraw it at any time. Moreover, with the certificate issued by the bank, they could withdraw money from any Christoia Bank in the territory of Daonia for large-scale cargo transactions, which was very convenient, so it was very popular. Polysixes refused to deposit the money in the bank because the bank was opened by the Davos family), so the patrol members present and the servants of the residence, as well as a few onlookers who accidentally broke into the residence, can all serve as witnesses. The total amount of these properties is—"
Aristocrates paused deliberately, facing the thousands of pairs of eyes focused on him from below the stage, and said loudly and clearly: "22 talents and 45 minas!"
Gasps of surprise came from below the stage.
Aristocrates added: "As far as I know, Polysixes, you have no other property besides the income from 15 acres of land."
Polysixes forcibly argued: "Many of them are… my grandfather and father left them behind…"
Aristocrates smiled contemptuously: "But why are most of the coins in your house Hades silver coins? (referring to the silver coins issued after the establishment of the Daionian League, famous for the portrait of Hades on the front) I asked your family, and you never go to the bank to exchange coins."
Aristocrates' words blocked the lies Polysixes wanted to come up with. In his desperation, he roared: "The Davos family has much more money than I do, why don't you check if they have any problems?!"
There was a chorus of boos from below the stage.
Aristocrates smiled again: "You see, I don't even need to speak, the eyes of the people are sharp. Everyone is very clear about the Davos family's property. Christoia Bank has helped so many Daionian citizens with extremely low interest rates! How many shops on the verge of bankruptcy have been saved!"
"That's right, that's how it is!"
"Kind Christoia!"
…
The people shouted one after another, and the anger that was about to erupt seemed to disappear without a trace. Therefore, Terry Todmus was happy to see this happen and did not interrupt Aristocrates' speech.
"Restaurants and bathhouses not only make people's lives better, but also make Thurii called 'the most attractive city in Magna Graecia'…"
"Young man, you're absolutely right!"
"Lord Davos has brought pride to Thurii!"
…
"In addition, the money earned by Lord Davos is not stored at home like yours. He donates property to build temples, as well as the library and stone bridge that are under construction…"
"The stone bridge was also donated by Lord Davos? I really didn't know that."
"I heard that after the library is built, Lord Davos will also donate a large number of precious books to the library."
"You Thurii people are so lucky! If I want to read a book, I have to come all the way from Crimisa…"
"Maybe one day Lord Davos will also donate a library to Crimisa."
…
While the crowd was discussing, Terry Todmus asked: "Defendant, do you have anything else to defend?"
Polysixes, like a drowning man making a last-ditch effort, said repeatedly: "Yes! Yes! My family used to own 350 acres of land in the city of Thurii, that's true! I still have the land deeds at home to check! But since Davos came, I… I voluntarily gave up all the land, and only have these 15 acres of land. I have made such a big concession for Thurii, for Daonia, shouldn't everyone… shouldn't everyone consider my family's losses?!"
"Even if there really are these so-called land deeds—" Aristocrates looked at Polysixes' incoherent appearance, knowing that he had lost his composure, and felt even more confident: "I hope the defendant understands one thing, after Croton destroyed the city of Thurii, the old city of Thurii no longer exists, and the original government no longer exists. Of course, these contracts signed by the Thurii City Hall at the beginning are invalid. May I ask, if Lord Davos had not led the army to defeat the Crotonians, would the original Thurii people dare to live in Thurii? Obviously not, everyone would only be forced to wander to other city-states, and even survival would be difficult, let alone owning land…"
Speaking of this, Aristocrates' tone was slightly heavy, and then he raised his voice again: "So although today's city of Thurii is still called Thurii, it is no longer the original city of Thurii, it is a part of the Daionian League, the center of Daonia!"
"That's right, the current Thurii has nothing to do with the past. Still want to occupy more than 300 acres of farmland, it's simply a dream!"
"A greedy person like you, Hades will definitely send you to hell, and let Lord Rhadamanthus's poisonous whip whip you hard!"
…
Amidst the crowd's ridicule, Polysixes seemed to have been drained of all his strength and slumped back into the wooden chair.
Terry Todmus looked at him and said: "The people below the stage, please be quiet! Now the jury will vote to decide whether the defendant is guilty!"
After speaking, the bailiff immediately placed an hourglass on the judge's table. Before the hourglass ran out, the jury members had to make a decision.
Each of them had two bronze tokens in their hands, one engraved with "Guilty" and the other engraved with "Not Guilty". With almost no hesitation, the jury members quickly threw one of the tokens in their hands into the bronze pot in front of the table.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!…" The crisp sound seemed like a hammer hitting Polysixes' heart.
After waiting for the voting to end, the bailiff walked over and began to count the votes. He picked up a bronze token from the pot, showed it to the jury members, and read aloud: "Guilty!… Guilty!… Guilty!…"
With each announcement, the crowd cheered, and Polysixes' face turned paler.
The result came out: 50 votes found him guilty, and no one abstained. (If there were exactly 25 guilty votes and 25 not guilty votes, the presiding judge would have the final say.)
The crowd cheered instantly, and Polysixes' face was ashen.
Next, the trials of the elders Orifis, Masisacus, Enanilous, Euricpus, and some nobles and public officials became even easier. In the face of ironclad evidence, they were all found guilty.
However, the collective crime of so many elders and public officials made the people present feel fear and anger. In the end, shouts of "Conduct a comprehensive investigation of the Senate and public officials, and find out the criminals who embezzled the League's public property" resounded throughout the city of Thurii in the square.
This roar reached the ears of the senators in the Senate, making them tremble. And Davos, who was proposing a bill to the Senate, smiled.
… … … … … … … … … …
This day's public trial lasted until dusk. After it ended, many people spontaneously ran to the front gate of the Senate's Great Hall in front of the square to protest to the senators.
This forced the senators to quickly retreat from the back door after the meeting. When they came out, their expressions were solemn.
"After the new bill is promulgated, the power of our Senate will be greatly restricted! Lord Davos is actually willing to propose such a bill, what good is it for him!" Stronboli said with some dissatisfaction.
"Lord Davos is right to do so! Listen to the shouts of the people in the square—" Cornelius pointed to his back and said with emotion: "Citizens should be given some rights to participate in politics. We used to do this all the time in Amendolara, haven't you experienced it before, why do you feel uncomfortable now?!"
Stronboli was stunned for a moment, thought for a while, and said: "I think the current system is quite good, at least you don't have to worry about being suddenly accused by the citizens, and you don't have to worry about things being only half done and being terminated because the one-year term ends and you are not re-elected. In the Daionian League, I can conduct a detailed investigation of the affairs I want to do, then plan, and then focus on realizing it step by step… Now it's good, a group of people who only care about their own interests and don't understand anything can also point fingers at our affairs!"
Similar words were constantly happening among the senators who were rushing back to the city.
Marigi and Plesinas walked behind.
"Lord Marigi, why did the chief executive propose such a bill? You should know that the anger of those citizens is definitely not directed at him! I am very clear in the temple that most of them are full of respect for the lord." Plesinas couldn't help but say the doubts in his heart.
Marigi laughed and said in a low voice: "Your question just now has already said the reason."
Plesinas was even more confused.
Marigi raised his head, looked at the setting sun that was about to hide behind the mountain, his eyes blurred, as if he was recalling something, and finally murmured: "…You Greeks have been away from the era of kingship for too long, obviously you don't know what is most important for a king?"
Such an obvious metaphor as "for the king" did not surprise Plesinas. He thought carefully, but still could not grasp the point.
Marigi gently uttered a word: "Balance!"
… … … … … … … … … …
It was evening, and the night enveloped the city of Thurii. However, the Christoia Restaurant in the city was brightly lit with candles, full of diners, and extremely lively.
In a corner, Theos and Dikeopolis sat quietly, savoring the food.
After finishing the fried beef on his plate, Theos said loudly, "Bring me a glass of wine."
After receiving a response, he picked up the clean linen cloth on his left and wiped the grease from the corners of his mouth.
"Anyone who has seen today's public trial—" Dikeopolis pointed his fork at the diners around them who were arguing loudly, and said, "—is furious, but you seem calm."
"What's there to be furious about! Such things were not uncommon in my former city-state of Corinth." Theos took the wine from the waiter, thanked him, and continued, "The important positions in the city-state are all controlled by the nobles, and the selection of generals is always among those dozen or so families. Isn't it the same in Keltoria? (Keltoria is a city-state on Crete, at the westernmost end of the island.)"
"That's true, so I'm as calm as you are."
They both laughed.
"However, there's one thing you're wrong about. Keltoria is just my former city-state. Now I am a Daonian."
Dikeopolis reminded him with mock seriousness.
"You and I both are." Theos raised his glass with a smile, and the two clinked glasses lightly.
"However, there is one thing that Polyxis did… I agree with it…" Dikeopolis looked around, leaned in, and whispered, "Hold a citizens' assembly."
Theos looked at him without speaking.
Dikeopolis continued in a low voice, "All decisions in the Daonian League are made by the Senate. We ordinary citizens can neither participate nor object. We can't decide anything. Although ordinary citizens can become senators, according to the law, the road is too long! Merchants like us are out and about all day long, and it's impossible for us to hold any public office. If—"
Dikeopolis hesitated for a moment, then said, "If the Daonian system doesn't change, I'm afraid… I'm afraid some merchants will leave. After all, having a lot of money but not being able to interfere with any decisions of the Daonian Senate always makes us merchants unwilling, doesn't it?"
Theos lowered his head, took a sip of wine, suppressed his surprise, and asked, "Are you among those who want to leave?"
"Of course I won't leave here!" Dikeopolis said with certainty, "This place has the best food in the Mediterranean! The best entertainment and competitions! The best hot spring baths! And no invading wars! It's simply Elysium on earth! Why would I leave!" Dikeopolis leaned back in his chair and said loudly.
"That's right, friend!" A ruddy-faced, slightly drunk man next to him patted Dikeopolis on the shoulder and said excitedly, "It is because of Lord Davos that we have the beautiful city of Thurii today! Brothers, let us toast the great Lord Davos!"
After he finished speaking, the diners at his table stood up and raised their glasses: "To Lord Davos!"
Influenced by them, the other diners also stood up one after another.
"Lord Davos, victory!"
"A toast to our great commander!"
The originally noisy restaurant converged into one voice.
After everyone toasted, someone stood up and joked, "To our damn Senate!"
Laughter and scolding broke out again.
Dikeopolis watched them quarrel with a smile, and Theos reminded him, "Daonia is not without the danger of war now!"
Dikeopolis was stunned, and then said, "Are you worried about Syracuse?"
Theos nodded slightly.
Dikeopolis waved his hand nonchalantly: "As a former Corinthian, I don't think you should worry about this issue. In mainland Greece, Sparta, Athens, Corinth, Thebes, Argos… and so on… don't city-states often send spies, bribe enemy state councilors, and even defend the interests of enemy states in public assemblies… If war were to break out over such trivial matters,
Mainland Greece would have been in chaos long ago! …However, to be honest, the situation in mainland Greece is really too bad now, especially in Corinth. I heard that the Spartan army is stationed in Corinth, and there are frequent battles with the allied forces of Corinth, Athens, Thebes, and Argos, and people die every day… You are so lucky to have come out so early!"
Theos was silent for a while when Dikeopolis mentioned the affairs of his motherland, and then sighed with emotion: "Yes, the Corinthians are having a hard time… I heard that Spartan King Agesilaus led the troops who had been fighting in Persia and have landed in northern Greece, and are preparing to go south, together with the Spartan army in the mainland, to attack the anti-Spartan allied forces from both north and south, the anti-Spartan allied forces must be in danger! …Speaking of which, I really should thank you. If it weren't for your persuasion, I wouldn't have made the decision to join Daonia so quickly!"
Dikeopolis laughed and said, "In that case, how should you thank me?"
This was originally a joke, but Theos said in a low voice, "A few days ago, I went to Lord Davos's mansion to discuss the stone bridge donation. As you know, I have followed Lord Davos's donations many times, which meets the requirements of Daonia's newly passed 'Reward Regulations for Foreigners Donating to Public Buildings' law, so I became a Daonian citizen so quickly…"
"You are a big merchant now," Dikeopolis said.
Theos ignored the faint sourness in his words and continued, "Lord Davos asked me in detail about the protests of some merchants in the square, and finally he said, 'This cannot go on. Daonia must change!'"
"He really said that?!" Dikeopolis asked in surprise.
"Of course, I remember it clearly!" Theos said with unusual certainty: "Lord Davos has always been a man of his word!"
Light flashed in Dikeopolis's eyes…
… … … … … … … … … … …
"My Lord, you're looking for me?" Aristilas walked into Davos's study.
"Sit down, Aristilas." Davos casually pointed to the wooden chair beside him.
"Yes, my Lord." Although Davos appeared casual, Aristilas sat down respectfully.
Davos leaned back in his chair, looked at his intelligence chief, and said, "You've been with me for almost five years, haven't you?"
"To be precise, it will be five years in four months and nine days," Aristilas said seriously.
"You remember that so clearly." Davos smiled: "You've been with me for so long, but I haven't seen you gain any weight."
Aristilas said helplessly, "This subordinate has this physique, no matter how much I eat, I won't gain weight."
"If Christoia had a physique like yours, she would be overjoyed." Davos chuckled.
He looked at the tall, thin young man with emotion: "You have been with me for so long, and even though you have become a Daonian citizen, you are still willing to continue collecting intelligence for me. With your ability, you are fully capable of holding any public office in the League… It can be said that you have silently made great contributions to the League! Just like this public trial case, I am really very grateful to you, and at the same time, I feel very guilty! …"
Aristilas suddenly felt a little uneasy: Could it be that Davos wants me to leave here?
Davos tapped his right hand lightly on the armrest of the wooden chair, and said slowly: "From now on, I can finally do something to repay your help to me."
Aristilas almost choked on his breath at Davos's sudden change of subject, and then heard Davos continue: "Aristilas, you know Syracuse very well. Tell me, if we go to war with that powerful city-state in Sicily across the sea, do we have a chance of winning?"
Aristilas's uneasy heart finally beat rapidly. He suppressed his excitement, thought for a long time, and then said, "My Lord, I believe that Daonia still has a considerable gap in strength compared with Syracuse."
Davos was not surprised by the content of Aristilas's words. He was satisfied with his attitude, that even though he harbored hatred for Syracuse, he could still analyze the problem from an objective standpoint: "Oh, what's the gap? Tell me in detail."
"According to what you once told me, the strength of a city-state is mainly judged from four aspects. These four aspects are population, economic capacity, land area… um… and… mo…"
"War mobilization capability." Davos reminded.
"I almost forgot." Aristilas cleared his thoughts and continued: "Now, except for a few coastal city-states in the westernmost part of Sicily, such as Lilybaeum, Eryx, and Panormus, which are still controlled by the Carthaginians, the other regions have been conquered by the Syracusans, including the Sicels in the eastern interior, who were also conquered by Dionysius through bribery, assassination, and other despicable tactics. Although the Carthaginians are still fighting fiercely with the Sicilian Greek allied forces led by Dionysius at Solus, according to the latest news, the Carthaginians have been defeated repeatedly, and it is estimated that retreat is only a matter of time.
According to the information collected by our people sent to Syracuse, Gela, Agrigentum, Leontini…" Aristilas paused for a moment: "Catana, Naxos, and other city-states, as well as the information heard by Daonian merchants trading in various city-states in Sicily, we have a general understanding of Syracuse's strength—"
He paused again, and Davos tapped the armrest lightly: "Just say it, I'm a pretty brave person."
"The city of Syracuse and its surrounding towns have a population of about 400,000, plus the other city-states directly controlled and affiliated to Dionysius, it may be close to 1.3 million…" Saying this, he looked at Davos.
Davos looked calm and signaled him to continue.
Sicily, controlled by Dionysius, was slightly smaller in area than Daunia, but half of Daunia was mountainous, making it impossible to grow grains and other crops, while Sicily was a famous wheat-producing region in the Mediterranean. Based on last year's wheat trading volume in Syracuse, Sicily's wheat production is likely twice ours.
Moreover, the port of Syracuse is thriving in commerce. Compared to our city of Thurii, it almost monopolizes the maritime trade between the Greeks and Africa. Even now, while at war with Carthage, many Phoenician merchants can still be seen in the port of Syracuse. Although I cannot know for sure how much Syracuse's monthly commercial tax revenue is, it is much stronger than Thurii in terms of port capacity and the number of merchant ships. And that's not even counting Agrigento, Catania, Naxos, Messina, these city-states established 300 years ago, whose port trade is very prosperous! ..."
Listening to Aristilas' words, Davos couldn't help but nod, and said, "There's no need to talk about war mobilization capabilities. Since Dionysius is a tyrant, his greatest advantage is that he can maximize the concentration of all the resources he controls, including the people, and can launch a sudden war without the approval of the council. I remember you telling me last time that Dionysius mobilized about 100,000 people for this war against Carthage on the northern coast of Sicily?!"
"Yes, sir. To be precise, it should be nearly 80,000 infantry and 20,000 navy."
"Last time... how many people did he send to attack western Sicily?" Davos asked again.
"It is said to be 100,000 people as well."
Davos let out a breath: "Yes, Syracuse launches large-scale wars with 100,000 people at every turn. The key is that he can support such a large number of troops in a place hundreds of miles away from the motherland for more than half a year... Syracuse's war potential is really amazing!" Davos sighed unusually.
"Sir, although Syracuse is powerful, it is not without weaknesses." Seeing a hint of frustration in Davos' tone, Aristilas took the initiative to say, "Dionysius brutally rules the people of Syracuse to prevent them from rising up against him. He also forces the people to pay heavy taxes. Syracuse citizens have to pay 20% of their income to the national treasury every year, and the people are very resentful of him. Moreover, the citizens of other city-states in Sicily also hate him, because they not only have to pay high tributes to Syracuse, but also have relatives killed by the Syracusans in battle during the previous Syracuse conquest wars, and relatives captured and sold as slaves to distant places... They harbor hatred for the Syracusans and for Dionysius! ..."
Davos quietly stared at Aristilas' face, which was slightly distorted by pain. After a long while, he said, "You are right. However, as long as Dionysius' army continues to win, as long as his power has not suffered major losses, then the hatred of the Sicilian people can only be hatred, and cannot harm Dionysius in the slightest. He also has the support of Sparta—"
Aristilas immediately said, "But Sparta is now caught in a war and has no extra strength to support Dionysius, and there is Carthage, Syracuse's mortal enemy, on the southern side of Sicily."
"This is indeed a good opportunity..." Davos stroked the sparse stubble on his chin: The Daonian League currently has a population of about 800,000. Whether it is commerce or agriculture, it is far behind Syracuse, and Daonia's military strength is relatively dispersed due to its geographical location, making it difficult to concentrate. The navy is even weaker. Once a war breaks out with Syracuse, the pressure faced will be great..."
Aristilas looked at Davos, who was silent for a long time, feeling anxious in his heart, but he did not dare to show it, and subconsciously clenched the armrest of the wooden chair with both hands.
"Aristilas." Davos finally spoke: "I allow you to start sending your men to Sicily from now on to understand in detail the forces in each city-state in Sicily that oppose Syracuse and Dionysius, and initially establish contact with them."
"Yes, sir." Aristilas' spirits lifted, and he couldn't help but ask further: "What then?"
Davos looked at him, his eyes bright: "Before the war with Syracuse, there is no 'then' for the time being."
......
The public trial in Thurii continued the next day, still attracting a large number of Daonian citizens to watch. Because the content of today's trial mainly concerns whether "Polyxis and others colluded with Syracuse and conspired to disrupt Daonia."
Although the Greek city-states also have cases of trying citizens for colluding with foreign countries and betraying the country, such as Xenophon, who was tried in absentia by the Athenian government a year ago for "betraying Athens" because he had been serving Athens, and was sentenced to death, which made Xenophon even more afraid to return to Athens. However, Daonia is like this, explicitly writing "treason" into the code, and detailing different sentences according to the severity of the crime. The item of "treason" alone occupies several pages in the code, which shows the Daonian League's emphasis on this crime. Today's trial will be the first trial of treason in the Daonian League, which has only a few years of history. It should be known that the highest sentence for this crime is—the death penalty, and the citizens who are very interested are all waiting to see.
Compared to yesterday, Polyxis' mental state was much worse today. Obviously, yesterday's trial dealt a great blow to him, but he had to cheer up today, because if he was found guilty yesterday, the worst he could do was be deprived of his citizenship and deported, but if he was found guilty today, his life might be in danger.
Aristocrates' appearance was warmly welcomed by the people. Although this young judge's back was a little hunched, he won the love of the people with his agile thinking, sharp words, and polite demeanor. Especially when they saw him debating Polyxis and others, whom they hated, into silence, some people even began to inquire about his family situation and privately pondered: to marry their daughter to this promising young man.
Polyxis was still trying to save himself, but unfortunately, there was too much evidence against him.
Especially the property found in his home contained many Syracuse silver coins. Because Syracuse has been engaged in expansion wars in recent years, spending a lot of money, the national treasury is almost empty, and it continues to collect heavy taxes from the people. Moreover, Dionysius disregarded the city-state's credit and issued a kind of inferior silver coin to make up for the national treasury deficit, forcing the Syracuse people to use a kind of "four-drachma silver coin" (that is, a silver coin with a weight four times that of a drachma) in these two years, which was mixed with a lot of lead in the silver coin to pass off inferior goods as superior goods. This kind of silver coin is rarely circulated in the Daonian market, but a lot of such coins were found in Polyxis' property, knowing that his family does not do maritime trade. This kind of coin was also found in the property of Orifis and Massisacus.
More importantly, Aristocrates showed the jury several letters found in Polyxis' home. Aristocrates picked out two letters and read them aloud: "...Lord Polyxis, I received your letter and learned that there has been great progress recently in the Daonian Senate's discussion on the matter of 'convening a citizens' assembly.' The General (referring to Dionysius) was very happy to hear this news. Regarding the amount of silver coins you requested, he immediately agreed and will soon ship them to the port of Thurii with the merchant ship. At the same time, he also asked me to remind you to pay attention that it is not enough to just let those merchants and nobles come out to protest. The main body of the Daonian League is not them, but the ordinary citizens who are soldiers of the legion. If you can approach them, win them over, and let them also join the protesting crowd, then..."
Polyxis once again stubbornly denied it, shouting loudly: "This is a forged letter! ..."
"Forged?! Then, please look at this one—" Aristocrates picked up another letter and showed it to the jury members: "This is the only letter you wrote that was searched for. It is your handwriting and has a seal. Look at the date, it was exactly the day you were arrested, so this letter has not had time to be sent out. I believe the people will be very interested in the content of the letter."
Aristocrates looked at Polyxis, who was rushing over like crazy, wanting to snatch the letter, but was restrained by the guards maintaining order in the court, with a sneer on his face, and read aloud again: "...Lord Philistus—here I want to explain that everyone may not know that Philistus is the most important minister of the Syracuse tyrant Dionysius... I do not agree with your previous suggestion. Luring the ordinary citizens of Daonia will not have much effect on the passage of the bill 'Convening a Citizens' Assembly.' I have come up with a good idea. There are some places in the laws that Davos has formulated for 'governing Lucania and the Brutii' that can be used by me. I believe that after my instigation, those simple-minded so-called alien elders will probably give up their support for that proud young man..."
"This is forged! Someone wants to frame me! ..." Polyxis shouted desperately, ignoring the tidal wave of angry scolding from the crowd below.
Aristocrates immediately summoned the witness.
After the Syracusan Hermes was detained, he was subjected to some cruel interrogation methods beyond this era, such as: first covering his mouth and nose with linen, and then pouring water on it little by little, etc., which made him feel worse than death.
Then, Matonis coldly told him: either be sent back to Syracuse after telling the truth, or refuse to confess and continue the interrogation.
Between the two choices, he did not hesitate to choose the former.
Therefore, as soon as Aristocrates raised the question, he readily recounted the truth about his dealings with Polyxenes under Dionysius's orders.
Polyxenes, of course, vehemently denied everything, but the already agitated emotions of the populace erupted like a volcano.
"Traitor!"
"Betrayer!"
"Hang him! And then let his soul suffer even harsher punishment in hell!"
...
It wasn't just Polyxenes's act of communicating with the enemy that angered the people, but also the contempt he showed for ordinary citizens and the belittling of foreign citizens in his letters, which fueled their rage.
The entire square was like a calm sea suddenly struck by a storm, with towering waves crashing down, threatening to destroy the makeshift court.
Not only Polyxenes and his group trembled under such intimidating pressure, but even the senior judge, Tritodemus, felt nervous.
According to the "Daonian Laws," Polyxenes's illegal actions did not warrant the death penalty, after all, Syracuse was not currently an enemy of Daonia, nor was it in a state of war.
Furthermore, as a senator, Polyxenes had the legal right to propose a "convening of the citizens' assembly" bill.
However, after the jury declared him "guilty," and considering yesterday's trial, Tritodemus, facing the angry crowd below, hesitated to deliver the final verdict.
Instead, he frequently conferred in hushed tones with the assistant judge and the prosecutor, Aristocrates.
At this moment, a clear bugle call rang out.
The people turned to look in the direction of the sound: the Senate's doors were wide open, and the senators, led by Davos, were stepping out of the council hall.
Surrounded by the guards, Davos walked down the steps and onto the wooden platform (because the platform was built next to the steps).
Tritodemus hurriedly went forward to salute him, but Davos stopped him: "This is a court, you are the master here.
I'm just here to solve a small problem for you."
Tritodemus immediately understood what he meant and said gratefully, "Thank you for your help, Your Excellency!"
Davos turned and saw Aristocrates respectfully salute him, so he patted him on the shoulder affectionately and praised, "Aristocrates, I didn't expect you to do so well!"
Then, he saluted the jury members, thanking them for their hard work.
Afterward, his gaze swept over the group in the defendant's dock.
Compared to the fearful and pleading eyes of Orifis, Massisacus, and others, Polyxenes was completely resigned to his fate, his desperate eyes flashing with a fierce light as he pointed at Davos and cursed, "Davos, you're afraid I'll fight for more rights for the citizens, so you fabricated false evidence to frame me.
One day the people will discover your true colors, and you won't escape Hades's just judgment!"
Davos completely ignored his existence, walked to the front of the wooden platform, stretched out his hands, and pressed down, and a miracle occurred: the "sea" below, which had been raging and turbulent, gradually calmed down…
At this point, he began to speak: "Citizens of Daonia! Families of Daonian citizens! I am very pleased to see so many people here participating in the public trial!
This shows that you love the Daonian League and care about Daonia's rule of law! Here, on behalf of the Senate, I would like to express my gratitude to all of you who have been working hard in front of the court for the past two days!"
After speaking, he earnestly bowed to the people.
The people responded to Davos's encouragement and consideration with warm applause.
"The law is sacred, especially in the Daonian League, because Hades is watching our actions from below!" Davos pointed to the ground: "We know that the citizens of the Daonian League come from all over the Mediterranean, from all races, and due to differences in customs and culture, conflicts are inevitable.
The law has given Daonia order and united everyone, so do not protest against judgments made according to the League's code, because if judgments can be changed because of your anger, then one day, this injustice may fall on you or your loved ones…"
Davos's earnest words caused the people to think deeply.
Some people originally thought that Davos's appearance was to put pressure on Tritodemus in order to increase the sentence of his political enemy, Polyxenes, but now it seems that this is not the case.
Taking advantage of the calm in the square, Tritodemus delivered the verdict: Polyxenes was convicted of multiple crimes, deprived of Daonian citizenship, his illegal property was confiscated, and he was sentenced to 30 years in prison; Orifis, Massisacus, and other senators, although they accepted bribes from the Syracusans, there was no clear evidence to show further contact with Syracuse, plus the crimes sentenced yesterday, therefore, they were deprived of citizenship, their illegal property was confiscated, and they were sentenced to 20 years in prison; Eunarnilus, Euricpus, and other senators were not found to have evidence of contact with Syracusans, and according to the crimes sentenced yesterday, they were deprived of citizenship, their illegal property was confiscated, and they were sentenced to ten years in prison…
Davos's previous words had an effect, and the people let out regretful hisses when they heard the verdict, but there were no further excessive actions.
However, at this moment, Polyxenes suddenly broke free from the soldiers' control and shouted loudly to the crowd below: "I did it for you! For the freedom of citizens! One day you will regret today's judgment against me!…"
His behavior was like pouring a can of oil into a dying stove, and the people's anger immediately flared up again, with angry curses once again attacking the wooden platform, and some people even spat on the platform.
The guards hurriedly escorted Polychrosis and the other prisoners down the wooden platform. As he passed Davos, Enanius didn't dare to look in that direction. Only after descending the platform and standing at the foot of the Senate's assembly hall steps, looking at the senators on the steps, did endless remorse rise in Enanius's heart: just because of a moment of greed, he, a noble senator above ten thousand people, had become a despised prisoner…
The public trial ended, and Tritodemus, Aristocrates, the jurors, and others successively withdrew from the wooden platform. However, the people below the platform did not disperse, because Davos on the platform also did not leave, making them know that the chief executive must still have something to say, so compared with the end of yesterday, the square gradually returned to calm.
Facing the expectant gazes of thousands upon thousands of people, Davos was clear in his heart: what did the people of Daonia want to express at this moment? What did they want to obtain?
But first, he wanted to start with another topic: "Just now, Polychrosis said that everything he did was for the citizens of Daonia. If he had not committed crimes such as illegally occupying land and restricting citizens' freedom, I would have been very happy to hear this sentence, because this is the duty of a qualified Daonian senator."
A burst of snickers rang out from below the stage, expressing their contempt for Polychrosis's ugly behavior of 'saying one thing and doing another', which diluted the slight impact of Polychrosis's final shouts earlier.
"I am also very grateful to Dionysius of Syracuse, who, in the midst of fierce battles with the Carthaginians, can still take the time to care about the political life of the Daonian people. I heard that the people of Syracuse are not very wealthy, and he doesn't need to waste a large sum of money here. If it could be used on the people of Syracuse, perhaps it could make their lives better! Most importantly—" Davos sneered and said loudly: "He, Dionysius, the tyrant of Syracuse, hasn't wiped the shit off his own ass, what qualifications does he have to point fingers at our Daonian League and disrupt the normal order of Daonia!"
Davos's sarcastic words caused the people to burst into laughter.
"The Senate will send envoys to Syracuse to protest to Dionysius, demanding an explanation and an apology! You may be worried that this will provoke the hostility of Syracuse? I can clearly tell you that Syracuse is indeed strong, but Daonia is also strong. Since the establishment of the alliance five years ago, we have not failed in any foreign wars! Dionysius of Syracuse is already struggling to cope with the powerful enemy Carthage in the south, how dare he risk being attacked from both sides and provoke our powerful selves! Citizens, the Daonian legions composed of you are not only the true iron walls of Daonia, but also an incomparably sharp sword. When you are armed, you are enough to dispel any city-state's ambition towards Daonia!"
Davos's words aroused the resonance of the people, and even more aroused their courage and sense of honor.
"Lord Davos is right, our First Legion is invincible and not afraid of any enemy's attack!"
"Our Second Legion is not bad either. As long as the Syracusans dare to set foot on the land of Southern Italy, we will drive them into the sea to feed the fish and shrimp!"
"In the mountains, no one can defeat the Third Legion. We are the strongest there!"
"You must know that in the Daonian legions, our Fourth Legion is the only one that has the ability to forcefully capture enemy cities. We are the strongest in siege warfare!"
"We not only have powerful legions, but we also have invincible commanders! Under the protection of Hades, the Syracusans dare to be enemies with us, they must be out of their minds!"
"Long live the Daonian Legions!"
"Long live the commander!"
The initial mutual quarrels eventually turned into a tsunami-like shout, and the psychological shadow produced by the initial hearing that "the Syracusans were actually causing trouble in it" seemed to be swept away.
Davos once again pressed his hands down, and when the cheers subsided, he said in a deep voice: "This time, Polychrosis, Enanius, and other senators have committed such a serious crime, encroaching on so much public property of Daonia, and there are also a considerable number of League officials involved in this case, which has not only shocked me and the Senate, but also shocked you present, and even more shocked the entire Daonian League! This is my dereliction of duty! The Senate's dereliction of duty! You should be angry and should accuse the Senate! But after anger, what we have to think about is how to prevent such a bad incident from happening again?"
Davos's words made the people in the square thoughtful and they began to whisper among themselves. Some shrewd people realized that the shrewd Archon would not bring up such a sensitive topic at this sensitive moment without a reason. They were immediately excited, thinking that something was about to be announced.
Sure enough, Davos raised his voice and continued: "The Senate, as the highest authority in Daonia and the leader of the citizens, immediately conducted a thorough review and reflection on itself after this incident, and after repeated discussions and revisions, passed the 'Daonia Local Council Act' this morning."
As soon as these words came out, the entire square was in turmoil.
"Quiet! Quiet!" Davos gestured and said loudly, "Listen carefully to what I have to say before discussing it, otherwise you will miss the key points. Don't expect me to say it a second time with such a good attitude."
Davos's joking words caused another burst of laughter among the people. Then, they all stared at Davos on the stage, pricking up their ears, for fear of missing a single word. The square became silent.
"This Act allows each city in the Daonian League to establish its own local council, with citizens from each Demos (this is an administrative unit that Daonia is establishing, lower than a city, formed by the merger of several villages) voting to elect the councilors of their respective Demos. The basic requirement is one councilor for every 300 citizens. The requirements for candidates are that they must be Daonian citizens, have served in the military, have no tax evasion records, have no major criminal records, and be citizens with good conduct. Then, these councilors elected by the citizens will form the city's local council to assist the city's chief executive in formulating local regulations, supervise the work of public officials, and put forward opinions that are beneficial to the city's development… The term of office for local councilors is two years, and citizen voting elections will be held during the winter break. In addition, after the autumn harvest every year, at the end of October, the local councils of each city will also elect a delegation to come to Thurii to attend the Senate Assembly, listen to the Senate Elders' summary of the development of Daonia that year, put forward their own opinions, and participate in the revision of the 'Daonia Code' and the formulation of new laws…"
As soon as Davos finished speaking, the entire square began to boil: the Daonian Senate had finally granted ordinary citizens the right to participate in politics and deliberate on government affairs!
Theos and Dikepolis looked at each other, thinking the same thing: the problem they were worried about yesterday had been solved by Davos. Those merchants, upon hearing this news, would probably give up their decision to leave Daonia…
Like the other citizens, they were cheering and waving their arms, extremely excited.
However, they saw Davos still standing on the wooden platform, shouting, "Quiet! Please keep quiet! I haven't finished speaking yet!"
Through the relay of more than a dozen soldiers, the people who heard these words immediately reminded each other: "The Archon still has something to say!!…"
The people immediately suppressed the excitement in their hearts, held their breath, and wanted to continue listening to what good news Davos would say.
"The Daonian League is different from other city-states. The Senate directly governs many cities and leads hundreds of thousands of your citizens. It is precisely because the affairs are too numerous and the territory is too vast that the Senate cannot achieve comprehensive and strict supervision, nor can it ensure that public officials in each city are fair and honest. This is why criminals such as Poluxis and Orifis embezzled the League's public property. Now that there are local councils to assist in governance and supervision, the situation may be much better, but—"
Davos changed the subject: "All Daonian citizens can be elected as local councilors, including those who have previously served as League public officials and those who have served as city-state public officials after resigning as councilors. Over time, there may be some problems."
Davos stopped speaking, and immediately some people in the audience curiously asked: "Lord, what problems will there be?!"
"Aren't you worried that councilors and public officials will once again collude in money and power like today?" Davos's words were like pouring a bucket of cold water on the people's enthusiasm,
causing them to fall into deep thought.
"Lord Davos doesn't seem to be justified in speculating about the future local councilors in this way," Raphaeus, who had been serving as the League's registrar, said softly about his views.
"No, my opinion is exactly the opposite." Tritodemos, the senior judge who had returned to the Senate, retorted: "Lord Davos is formulating corresponding laws targeting the worst possible situation, which is actually protecting them and preventing anyone from becoming a second Poluxis. This is the best effect that the 'Daonian Law' wants to achieve, which is to deter the people and make them abide by the law, rather than to catch more criminals."
At this time, Davos said in a high-pitched voice: "For this reason, I propose that the Senate discuss and pass the 'Daonian Tribune Act'."
Tribune? The people felt confused by this unfamiliar word.
Compared to the people's slow reaction, the expressions of the senators on the steps were much more exciting. Even the always-steady Cunogolata sighed helplessly: "Today is truly a victory for the common people!"
"This is a good thing!" Cornelius said happily: "I used to have some misunderstandings about Lord Davos. I didn't expect that once he is determined to let the citizens participate in politics, the concessions he makes would be so great!"
Maligi listened to the discussions of the surrounding senators, and sneered even more in his heart.
"This Act allows the Demos citizens of each city to vote to elect tribunes. Each city shall not have more than ten, and their term of office is also two years. Tribune—you should know from this name that it is a position to protect the common people. To serve as a tribune, one must be a citizen who has never held any public office and swears that he will not hold public office in the future. Of course, he must also be a good citizen who has served in the military, paid taxes on time, and has no criminal record. His task is to supervise and expose the illegal acts of public officials and councilors. For local regulations that are detrimental to the interests of the common people, he can discuss amendments with the council, or even reject them. The Senate will also grant the tribune the privilege of 'personal inviolability' during his term of office. Unless he commits a serious crime himself, no one shall harm the tribune, otherwise he will be severely punished! During the winter break every year, the tribunes of each city will also elect representatives to come to Thurii with the council delegation to report the local supervision situation and make suggestions to the Daonian Archon and the highest-level supervisors and judges… The detailed original texts of these two important Acts, the 'Daonian Local Council Act' and the 'Daonian Tribune Act', will be posted on the announcement wall later for you to carefully view (the announcement wall is a few shadow walls built under the steps on the side of the Senate Assembly Hall at Davos's initiative two years ago. When the Senate passes new Acts or issues new orders, the original text will be posted on the wall so that the people can understand and study them in a timely manner)."
After Davos finished speaking, the square suddenly fell into a strange silence. The people seemed unable to believe that this was real. Yesterday, they were still angry about the corruption of the senators, arguing about whether to protest at the Senate Assembly Hall to request a citizens' assembly. Today, they suddenly had the right to participate in politics, deliberate on government affairs, and supervise, especially the position of tribune. This truly gave ordinary common people the right to speak politically.
The people were as if in a dream. Someone still foolishly asked Davos on the stage: "Lord, is this real?"
Davos replied with a smile: "Don't you all believe what I, Davos, say?!"
So there was jubilation in the square. The ecstasy in the people's hearts was far from being comparable to watching a football game, taking a bath in a large hot spring, or even participating in a Hades celebration. This was the natural desire of human beings for power and freedom.
Experienced people knew in their hearts: even in very democratic city-states, such as Athens, most people only participated in political affairs and voted for the election of generals. Those in power on the stage were always citizens or even nobles who had received higher education and were wealthy. Ordinary people were busy with life all day long. Where would they get the money to receive education? Where would they get the time to deal with city-state affairs? When city-states were ruled by nobles and wealthy people, would they consider the common people more? The answer was very obvious. Now, in the Daonian League, the Archon asked the Senate to take the initiative to hand over some power to the common people, allowing them to directly intervene in the implementation of laws and regulations and to expose the illegal people among the public officials. How could this not make them ecstatic!
"Long live Daonia!!!"
"Long live Lord Davos!!!"
These two heartfelt cheers, like waves in the sea, rolled alternately in the air above the square, until they resounded throughout the city.
This will be a new era! Davos stood in the center of the turbulent waves, standing still, with a solemn expression: the Senate has legislative power, the council has the right to participate in politics, and the tribune has the right to supervise, mutually restraining each other, forming a balance, and initially achieving the political structure he envisioned. But where is his own position?
Davos looked at the setting sun, which was warm but not scorching, eye-catching but not dazzling…
… … … … … … … … … …
In Syracuse, the Daonian delegation led by Ansitano has been staying for several days.
"Teacher, I have inquired clearly." Henipolis rushed into the room and said angrily to Ansitano: "The news we received before we came was indeed correct. Dionysius has already returned. Yesterday, someone even saw Dionysius going to the port to welcome the second wave of Carthaginian envoys, but he has not received us for five consecutive days. What does this mean?! You must know that we are the envoys of Daonia. What he is doing is a humiliation to our Daonian League! Teacher, let's not wait any longer. Let's immediately return to Thurii and accuse Dionysius of humiliating us to the Senate!"